Brendan Fraser has recently made a surprising revelation regarding his career, despite having an impressive history in the film industry.
The 57-year-old first rose to fame in Hollywood in 1997, starring in Sam Weisman’s film, *George of the Jungle*. Before this, he had gained experience in the comedy fantasy film *Encino Man* and the drama movie *School Ties*.
In 1999, Fraser’s role as Rick O’Connell in *The Mummy* catapulted him to international fame, a success further cemented by two subsequent sequels.
However, Fraser’s career has faced its own set of difficulties.
During the late 2000s, he took a significant hiatus from the public eye.
Fraser has attributed this break to a series of stressful events, including health challenges, the end of his marriage to actress Afton Smith, and his public allegation of sexual assault against the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Philip Berk, which Berk denies.
Furthermore, Fraser shares a common struggle with many people: issues with self-confidence.
In 2022, Fraser made his return to acting with the psychological drama *The Whale*.
In the film, he portrayed Charlie, a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher trying to reconnect with his estranged family before his impending death.
The film not only succeeded at the box office but also earned Fraser his first Oscar for Best Leading Actor.
Despite these achievements, Fraser disclosed in an interview with AP that he continues to battle with his mental health.
“I struggle with confidence,” he told the publication, adding: “I always have, the feeling of not being good enough.”
Discussing his inner critic, he mentioned, “Believe me, no one can be harder on me than me. No critic, no pithy internet comment can be more biting to me than myself in my private thoughts.”
Fraser continues to work on overcoming these challenges, recalling his time hosting *SNL* for the first time in 1997, with a subsequent appearance in 1999.
“The first time, during the monologue, [*SNL* creator] Lorne [Michaels] has a quick word with the host at dress rehearsal. He said, ‘You know, it’s all about confidence.’ I don’t know if that psyched me up or not.”
He concluded: “Forget everything you know and just own it. ‘Can you do that?’ is the question, the eternal one.”
According to Psychology Today, approximately 85 percent of adults globally experience low self-esteem.
Such feelings can affect various aspects of a person’s life but can be managed through self-compassion, trying new activities, and seeking professional help, among other strategies.
Fraser previously opened up about the alleged incident with Berk, stating it “made me retreat” in a conversation with GQ.
He speculated that the HFPA, which organizes the Golden Globes, might have blacklisted him, commenting, “I don’t know if this curried disfavor with the group, with the HFPA. But the silence was deafening.”
The HFPA has denied blacklisting Fraser, while Berk initially labeled the allegation as a “total fabrication,” though he admitted in his 2014 memoir to having pinched Fraser’s backside “in jest.”
In 2018, the HFPA informed GQ Magazine that they had conducted an internal investigation and issued an apology to Fraser, but their review concluded the interaction “was not an intended sexual advance.”